Sleeping bag



March 11, 1952 J, KAPLAN 2,588,536

SLEEPING BAG Filed Deo. 2o, 195o 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 INVENTOR. Mza; a/W7. BY 7264, TZ,

SLEEPING BAG Filedvnec; 2o, 195o 2 sx-IEETs-SHEET 2 INI/EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 11, 1952 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE SLEEPING BAG Julius Kaplan, Springfield, Mass. Application December 20, 195.0',` Serial No. 201,794

3. Claims.

Myv invention relates to neW- and useful improvements-ina combination blanket, comforter, and sleeping bag, which is adapted to serve both military and non-military requirements in combination devices of this type.

The invention relates ton animproved and novel construction which permitsy use off' the structurefor a multiplicityl of purposes. That is to, say, the device may be usedas a blanket or comforter, oras a sleeping bag, all as may be desired.

By means ofthe novel features ofmy invention', the airing-and/or' laundering of the same is greatly-'facilitated' inasmuch as it ispossible to open it. For thisk and other purposes of theV invention, the device consists of a structure of a water repellent materia-ll Whi'chis suitably reinforced with al'ayer of padding soas to provide the features above referred to.

One ofthe principal objects of the-inventionis to provide a multipurpose bag which isreadilyadapted to betransformedfmm a blankettoa 'sleepingbagz forl example, or to be changedfromany one construction to any other possible construction, alr as may be desired',

Itis the principal object of-my invention to provide a novel and improvedx multipurpose bag of the type which will eliminate thev nowl present obiectionable inconveniences inherent in devices of' this type and which is operable with a maximum amount of ease and Vaminimum `degree of effort:v

1 with parts thereof in progressively foldedY re-V lation; and

Figs. 6-8 inclusive are small scale diagrammatic plan viewsshowing the partsv of the structure at the head end thereof in progressive. folded: relation.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail",

v and referring` more particularly to the preferredlil rAll-ofthe above objects I'accompli'sh, lay-means",l i"

of such' structure and" relative arrangements of.

parts thereof; as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited' and other ends andwith the foregoing and various other novel featuresy andadvantages and other objects of my invention as .will become. more, readilyl apparent'Y as. the description proceeds, my invention consists in. certain novel features of. construction; andi'n the: czornbinationV and' arrangement ofparts vas will' be hereinafter more particularly pointed= out in. the claims hereunto annexed and more fully de- 'scribed and: referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a planview ofy the outer side of my` improved' combined blanket and sleeping bag structure;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view' along the line-2 2 of Fig. 1-;`

Figs. 3-5- inclusive are small scale diagram-- matic plan-'views of the structure shown Fig.

form of my invention selected' for illustrative'` purposes, I have shown a combinationblanket and sleeping bag which includes a sheet: or member 2 of substantially rectangular form andl is made from any suitable water repellent material.

The sheet or member 2 is of such dimensions as to accommodate completely the body oft the userr with sufficient additional length and width-- remaining at the opposite ends and' sides thereof for purposes subsequently to be described, see Fig. 1.

As will be observed by reference to- Fig; 2, superposed sheets of pliable sheet material of" the.- same. size and shape: as. memberl 22 are kpro-- vided'.

Disposed under member 2 is a sheet off soft fabric 4 of any; of the Well; known types: such as cotton-orI wool'. Serving as-a ply,l between mem:- bers 2' and 4 is asheet of padding` orl fill-ingA 6i. Member 6 may be of any conventional: soft` material -suchaswool-dowm kap'ok; flannelette. or-the like.

The outermostl edges ofsheets 2;, ,4;- and-6- are secured to each otherby--meansofia, binding '81 of silk or other suitable material which i-s,stitched as. at Il!` around the per-imeteisthereof and-holds the members fixed relative toV eachV other at the edges and preventsl raveling of the same.

the-structure. Member 4 serves as the innermost sheet thereof when the. structure is used, asVA a sleeping, bag as will shortly beV observed.

Stitching. as indicated by l2, is employed whichextends through the sheets. ThisY may be disposed' throughout the area as desired so that. the. member is what is known as quilted When the combined sheets 2 L and. .Fi are spread out to their fulllength,` the device .can be; used as a blanket for a bed or the.; like. Thatv is to say;l when in the open` or extended position (as shown in Fig. 1) the structure is well adaptedv to function as a blanket or comforter..

The needfor a structure havingy a .multiplicity of uses, especially; in the military service. is so obvinuslvdesirable asJ to require. no further comment.

Opposite Stringer portions I4 and I6 ofj-a wellb known separable type interlocking slide fastener, having a slider I8 associated therewith, are provided and are secured to the member 2 adjacent the marginal edge of a foot portion 30 of such structure and continue longitudinally therefrom to a point adjacent the head end portion 32 of the structure.

These stringers I4 and I6 are secured together with flexible covering tapes 24 and 26 respectively by means of stitching indicated by 25 and 21. That is to say, each stringer has one of its ends secured at the midpoint transversely of the member 2 and at a point approximately at or adjacent what will be referred to as the foot end portion 30 of the structure, as is shown in Fig. 1.

The stringers I4 and I6, when the structure is in the open or extended position, in effect, form a substantially inverted U having transverse portions extending in opposite directions from the midpoint and having side portions extending to the longitudinal side edges of member 2 approximately near the head end portion 32 of the structure.

.The slider I8 is in operative engagement 'with the stringers I4 and I 6.

The stringer slide construction will be of the well known form used in connection with clothing and the like and may be of the type known as the Talon zipper fastener.

The structure is pliable and foldable so that longitudinal side portions and head end and foot end portions may be relatively folded as will later appear.

Also secured to and arranged transversely of the-member 2 in spaced relation as to each other are two or more strap members 34 comprising strips of fabric or similar material 4 which are stitched as at 36 to member 2 so as to provide a plurality of loops 38 as shown in Fig. 2.

The loops may be used for various purposes. For instance, poles may be passed therethrough so that the structure may be supported as a stretcher. Too, various objects may be inserted in the loops so as to be carried by the structure.

Tie members 40 which may be tapes or any exible material desired have intermediate portions secured to the structure as beneath the Stringer portion I4 as shown in Fig. 1 so as to provide free ends 42. These tie members may be employed when the structure is rolled or folded up to hold and retain the structure in a rolled up compact condition when the device is not in operational use.

Stringers 44 and 46 are provided at the head end of the structure and extend in opposite directions transversely from the longitudinal center of the structure. These with flexible covering tapes 48 and 50 are secured to member 2 as by stitching represented by 52. See Fig. 1.

A slide device not shown is provided for sliding along the stringers and locking them together as is the case with the other stringers above described.

Grommets 54 are carried by the structure which may be of usual form and will function in the usual manner when the structure is used for tentage purposes for which it is well adapted.

The combined sleeping bag and blanket construction is generally indicated by I and will be Certain elements not required for sleeping bag purposes are omitted in these gures.

The structure is laid upon the ground with the member 2 in contact therewith and longitudinal side portions 66 are folded over inwardly on the main body of the structure as shown in Fig. 3. This may be done to locate the stringers about or at the sides of the folds.

Corner portions 68 are brought inwardly as shown in Fig. 4 and the slider I8 is pulled along the stringers so as to bring the longitudinal side portions inwardly over the main body of the structure as shown in Fig. 5 wherein there is provided a' longitudinal bag which is noW open at the head end, i. e. the left hand end, as shown in Fig. 5.

A person may slide in this open end to bring the feet into the foot end 30, i. e. the right hand end, as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be appreciated that the structure is formed to provide su'icient fullness so as to receive comfortably the body and feet of the user.

One does not place himself within the structure shown in Fig. 5, however, as there are other folds yet to be made before the fully assembled bag is ready for occupancy.

Coacting parts 10 and 10' arev provided centrally of the head end of the structure and at the corners thereof which are engaged when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5 so that the head end at the end is closed and entrance may be had through the slot 12.

The slider may bepositioned so that this slot will be of sufficient length so as to allow one to crawl into the bag.

The endmost portion 14 of the structure at the head end is brought over and the side portions 66 are doubled upon themselves as shown in Fig. 6.

Portions 16 of-snap fasteners are provided as shown in Fig. 5 as are portions 16' of snap fasteners engageable therewith, so as to hold the endmost portion 14 in the position shown in Fig. 6.

These snap fasteners are of usual form such as are employed on gloves and the like and include a female member in which a male member is releasably received.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 6, opposite sides of the end portion of the structure are brought together so that the runners 44 and 46 are in adjacency and are more or less in perpendicular relation as shown in Fig. '1.

The slider is moved along the members 44 and 46 to secure these opposite sides together centrally'and then the end portion is laid down as shown in Fig. 8.

In this relation of the parts, the end portion 14 provides a hood for the head and the overlapping portions Within and below the head provide a cushion and pillow for the head.

The slider I8 may be adjusted so that the slot 12 will allow one to slip into the sleeping compartment and then the head may be disposed within or below the hood on the pillowportions and subsequently the slider may be adjusted to reduce the size of the opening.

The members 44 and 46 need not be interengaged throughout their entire length. By so doing, the longitudinal depth of the hood may be increased so as to accommodate persons of greater height.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A sleeping bag comprising in combination, a structure of fiat pliable sheet material, and a pair of anchor members each secured to said structure and having a free edge extending from said structure and provided with securing elements fixed to such free edges, said pair forming a substantially inverted U having transverse portions adjacent one end portion of said structure and having side portions extending from said transverse portions to the longitudinal side edges of said structure, the securing members of said anchor members being cooperable when brought into cooperating engagement after the folding inwardly of said side portions of said structure upon the main body thereof to maintain said structure in an arrangement forming abag.

2. A sleeping bag comprising in combination, a structure of fiat pliable sheet material, and a pair of tapelike fastening elements each secured to said structure along one longitudinal edge thereof and having an opposite free longitudinal edge extending from said structure, said pair forming a substantially inverted U having transverse portions adjacent one end portion of said structure and having side portions extending from said transverse portions to the longitudinal side edges of said structure, the fastening elements of said pair being cooperable with each other when brought into cooperating engagement after the folding inwardly of said side portions of said structure upon the main body thereof to maintain said structure in an arrangement forming a bag.

3. A sleeping bag comprising in combination, a structure formed from pliable material having a main body and a foot and a head end and two longitudinal side portions, said side portions being foldable over onto the main body of said structure, and fastening elements extending transversely and longitudinally of said structure on an outer side thereof and cooperable with each other and arranged upon the folding of said side portions inwardly to secure same to each other "to form an elongated pocket closed at the foot end portion and open at the head end portion of said structure.

J ULIUS KAPLAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,394 Great Britain Jan. 28, 1915 109,761 Great Britain Sept. 27, 1917 384,556 Great Britain Dec. 8, 1932 398,700 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1933 133,744 Sweden Apr. 10, 1945 

